Cigar-bunching machine



(Model.) 43sheetsshfm '1.

I'. G.'MILLER.

GIGA-R BUNGHING MACHINE. No. 465,283. Patented Deo. 15, 1891.

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(Model.) s sheets-sheet 2.- F. C..MILLER'.

CIGAR BUNGHING MACHINE.

No. 465,283. Patented Deo. 15, 1891.

11.10; MILLER, GIGAR BUNCHING. MAGHINE.

.3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(Model.) A

Patented Deo. 15, 1891.l

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UNT-TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

FREDRICK C. MILLER, OF NEWPORT, KENTCKY.

ClGAR-BUNCHING MACHINE.

SPECIFICTION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,283, dated December 15, 1891.

i Application filed November 23. 1889. Serial No. 331,371. (Model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDRICK (l. MILLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newport, Campbell county, Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Bunching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

'My invention relates to improvements on the cigar-bunching machine described and claimed in my patent, No. 416,117, dated November 26, 1889.

My prsent invention consists in devices hereinafter described and claimed to faciliper and the auxiliary receptacle.

machine to which my present improvements are to be applied. Hence it is only necessary to describe the particular improvements herein claimed and the manner of their use in said machine. This will be clearly understood from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,

in which Figure I is a side view of a cigar-bunching machine embodying-my improvements. Fig. II is a sectional view showing the tobaccofeeding mechanism and the bunch-rolling mechanism. Fig. III is a top view of the hop- Fig. IV is a plan view of the matrix-block of the follower provided with a'spring. Fig. V is a side view thereof. Fig. VI is an end vie'w. Fig. VII is an end view showing the spring applied directly to the follower and without the matrixblock. Fig. VIII is a view of the apron, follower, and Itobacco-slide in the position they assume when the plunger comes down. Fig. IX is a detail view showing the bunch-rolling mechanism in position in which the bunch is delivered to the carrying-jaws.

l represents the driving-shaft on which are xed a series of cams 2, 3, 'and 4. Cam 2 has a cam-groove 2a and another cam-groove 2b. Cam 3 has a cam-groove 3.

4 is the main hopper for receiving the scraps of tobacco. I have found by experience that when a common straight hopper is used over the feeding and measuring devices 1t 1s very dificult to feed a uniform quantity of tobacco for the fillers, the tobacco often banking itself in thehopper and varying in the amount fed; also, the change of the amount of tobacco in the hopper as it is fed outnaturally changesv the weight over the feeding and measuring devices as fast as it is used, and it packs itself more or less as it is shaken, and hence changes the amount fed by the feeding device into the measuring device for the fillers. Now to avoid these difficulties I have constructed the main hopper 4 with an auxiliary receptacle 5, forminga bay projecting in front of the open bottom of the main hopper and over the filler-feeding mechanism, suiiicientspace beingleft beneath the intervening wall of the main hopper 4 to allow the tobacco to flow from the main hopper into the auxiliary receptacle, and the front wall of the latter rising to a sufficient height above the opening beneath the wall of the main hopper to prevent any overflow of tobacco. The tobacco is thus kept at a substantially uniform height in the auxiliary receptacle, from which measurer, and in order to facilitate the feed' movement the said oscillating plate 7 is inclined downward toward the auxiliary receptacle 5, the discharge-opening 8 in said plate being at its lowest part and within the auxiliary receptacle 5. This oscillating plate 7, with its aperture 8, thus constitutes the feeding device from the hopper, and this and the measuring device or slide which apportions tobacco for the successive fillers constitute, collectively, the filler feeding mechanism. Registering with the opening 8 in said plate 7, so as to receive ach'arge of v tobacco, is an orifice or opening19 in the slide 1 0, constituting the measuring device, that moves to and IOC fro under the oscillating plate. The slide is reciprocated at the proper time by means` of a rocking or'oscillating arm 11,the lower end of which is provided with means for engagement in the cam-groove 2a. Said plate 7 is moved through the medium of a shaft l2, rock-arm 13, link or connecting rodv 14., and a wheel 15, having a zigzag groove to receive a projection on said link.

16 is the plunger.

17 is the follower under the plunger, that is released by suitable means, so that it may be thrown up out of its housing by the spring 18 to engage the slide 10 on each sideof the orifice` 9 when the slide has moved out.

19 is the apron, and this is secured at its forward end to the oscillating frame or apronholder 20under the front end'of thetable 21, and ati` its rear end it is securedto the rear apron-holder or oscillating arms. 22that are operated by thecam. One of these oscillating arms is shown, there being oneoneach side ofv the machine. 22 is a spiral spring that acts onl the arms to draw the apron-taut..

The apron passes between theplun ger and follower.

23.is amatriX-block that is-dovetailed onto I the'topof the follower, and t'o it or directly to the follower (the matrix-block in thiscase being dispensedwith) is secured a V-shaped wire spring24, the ends of which are-secured near one of the short sides of the matrix-block orgfollower, as the case may be, and the apex 24 of which is bent down and projects beyond. the other short side of the follower. ,The free'or apex end of thespring is normally raised by reason of the spring beingl curved 'graduallyrupward from its ends toward its apex. Asthe follower-springsup under the apronin the position shown in Fig. VIII- the spring 2l is pressed into the igrooves25; but

as soon'as the plunger which passes inside the spring pushes down the follower asit deliversthe filler in the apron, the spring is released from its pressure against the slide- 10 and raises the apron with the binder (which was ofcourse placed on the apron before the delivery ofy the filler thereon),I on each side;of theplunger, thereby formingadeep pocket held by the spring to retaink the filler untill thebunch-roller 26, that is carried by. oscil lating arms 27, operated from cam-groove 3LVL of cam 3,has moved forward and practicallyv This con-1 closed: the pocket of the apron. struction enables the apron to deliver and-retain the proper shapeof the filler until it is taken care of by the bunch-roller, as above stated, and-prevents parts of the filler from dropping off at the point of the filler before the bunch is rolled. The boss 28 of arm 27 is cam'or'project-ion 29.V l

@ne side-of the frame 20-is extended or has an extension 2Oa below its pivot. As the bunch is rolled forward over the table it produces a slack of the apron in front of the bunch which this frame 2O takes up, it moving provided with a apron and pushes the apron down to form the pocket, the frame or apron-holder 20`is drawn towardthe front end'of'the table, and the eX- 'tension 20 of said frame comes in contact with or approaches the cam or project-ionl 29 of arm. 27, and assoon-as the'buncheroller-begins to-roll the bunchv the cam operates on frame 20which takes up thef slack of the apron, as stated. At the same timethat the` plunger-126 deposits the ller on the apron,

as shown by the position of the apron in Fig. IX, the arms 22 are-movedV forward by cam 3 and; allow slack tothefapron'toformia pocket and then-stopfor-ay moment by reason of the double cam-surface of the cam; but as soon ias the plunger 16 is retracted highenough the arms 22 start' to move the apron a` second` time'forward inunison with themovement of'the bunch-roller until the pocket is closed on the edge of the table, and as thebunch starts to rollf on the table by thecont'inued forward movement of the bunch-roller the arms 22-draw the apron backward under. the tension of spring22a and keep av tension on theapron while the bunch is being rolled.`

Very important results are obtained'by'the forward movement of the arms22, which carry the apron toformthe pocket, andby the second forward movement until the pocket isl closed on the table, as it keeps the tobacco-in` placein theform deposited before it startst'o roll, and it therefore retainsthe shape desired and preventsparts of the tobaccefillerffrom spreading on the apron=between it andl the binder as thebunch': is beingfrolled.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,- is- 1. In a'cigar-bunching.machine, the combination of a mainr hopper to feedthetobaccd,

an auxiliary receptacle infront ofthemain hoppenanr intervening wall extending from` above downward between the main hopper and auxiliary receptacle,- leavinga communication between-them at bottom, andtobaccofeeding mechanism located beneath theauxiliary receptacle,.as herein shown and de scribed,so as to-v be supplied therefrom by gravity and to be unaffected by theverticalv pressure-of tobacco in the mainhopper.l

2. In a cigar-bunching machine, ahopper, and` an` oscillatory plate below it having'an opening andvinclinedupwardly from'its open-- ingto assist'the feeding of the tobacco-toward the opening, substantially asset forth.

3. In a cigar-bunching machine, a hopper IOO IIO

constructed with an auxiliary receptacle fed from the main hopper, and an oscillatory plate below the said hopper extending into the auxiliary receptacle, where it is provided with an opening, such plate being inclined downward toward its opening to assist the feeding ofthe tobacco toward the opening, substantially as set forth.

4. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination of the filler-feeding mechanism, an apron, a bunch-roller, a plunger to push the tobacco from said feeding mechanism onto the apron, a follower on which theV plunger presses the apron in the act of delivering the tobacco on the apron, and a spring under the apron passing outside of the plunger to raise the apron, substantially as and for the pure pose set forth.

5. In a cigar-bunching machine, the combination of a filler-feeding mechanism, an apron, a bunch-roller, a plunger to push the tobacco from said feeding mechanism onto the apron, a follower on which the plunger presses the apron inthe act of delivering the tobacco on the apron, and a spring at the top of the follower having spreading ends, said spring when the plunger descends passing outside .thereof to raise the apron, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. e

6. In a cigar-bunehing machine, the combination of filler-feeding mechanism, an apron', a bunch-roller, a plunger to push the tobacco from said feeding mechanism onto the apron, a follower on which the plunger presses the apron in the act of delivering the tobacco on the apron, and aV-shaped spring at the top of the follower inclined upwardly from its ends toits apex, said spring when the plunger descends passing outside thereof to raise the apron, `substantially as and for the purpose set forth. l

7. The combination of the table 21, the reciprocating bunch-roller 26, the apron 1 9, the oscillating arms 22, to which the rear end of the apron'is connected, and the cam 3, giving a positive intermittent movement to said arms, moving forward to afford slack to form the bunch-pocketin the apron, stopping while the bunch is pressed in the pocket, and again moving forward to permit the rolling of the bunch over the table, as explained.

8.` The combination of the table 21, the reciprocating bunch-roller 26, the apron 19, the

oscillating rear apron-holder 22, moving forward to afford slack to form the bunch-pocket in the apron and after the bunch is pressed in' the pocket again moving forward to permit the rolling of the bunch, and the front apron-holder 20,having areciprocating movementbeneath the front end of the table to take up the'slack of the apron in front of the bunching-roller during the forward movement of the latter, as explained. l

` 9. The combination of the ltable 20, the reciprocating bunch-roller 26, the apron 19, the arms 22, to which the rear end of kthe apron is connected, the cam 3, imparting an intermittent and positive forward movement to the arms 22, the spring 22a, retracting the arms 22 to keep the aprontaut, the arms 20, to which the front end of the apron is connected, and meansforimpartingareciprocating movement. to the arms 22, substantially as and for the purposes set forth. e

FREDRICK C.. MILLER. Witnesses:

A. F. WENZEL, NAPOLEON DU BRUL. 

